Far From Home
by RKgirl93
Summary: When a strange red-haired man moves onto the property next door, Kaoru finds herself running into him more than she would like. But when her dojo takes off, making her one of the wealthiest women in Japan, she is told she has to marry. With many suitors trying to become her husband, who will be able to win the independent woman's heart?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello readers! I know it's been a century and a half since I have written anything, but I plan to actually follow through with this story! It's based off of the novel Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. All you literary junkies should definitely check it out!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters.

Far From Home

The sound of a horse's clopping was always a soothing sound to Kaoru. She had never quite known why, but something about the rhythm was melodious and the steady beat was entrancing as it perfectly matched the way she gently bounced up and down on her white-gray colored horses bare back. Her feet gently squeezed its sides so she did not risk the injury of falling off while spacing out to the view of the large amount of countryside in front of her. The endless rolling hills and blue sky were enough to make her ride all the way out to the countryside to practice in the perfect spot.

It did not take too long to get where she was going. Her faithful stallion had taken her here many times for as long as she could ride him freely. The horse stopped by habit at the small creek, where she left him every time she came here. There was a nice patch of grass that he would munch on while she quickly hopped on the stepping stones and down a short, dirt path to a place that was all her own. Or so she had thought.

As soon as the light gray beast had stopped, she slid off silently and the creature began happily munching on grass. The partnership was beneficial; she got to practice in secret, and he got to mow a large patch of the nearby field every other day.

Carefully, Kaoru picked her way down to the bank of the creek and lightly hopped onto the first smooth stone. She landed softly with one foot, which she leveraged to immediately jump to the next stone. Repeating this for two more stones, she then nimbly leapt to the other side of the creek's bank.

"Hah!"

She paused. A noise of exertion was coming from nearby.

"Ka!"

She heard it again. Her senses were on alert as she slid her sandals off in order to make her footsteps quieter in the lush grass. Down the path, she crept silently through the brush nearby as the sounds got louder.

"Tah! Kai-ha!"

She stopped suddenly, seeing a flash of crimson through the trees. Her eyes rounded as the color made one thought race through her mind. 'Blood!' The red moved again, so fast she could barely even follow it. Sometimes, it was so fast, she could not see it until it reappeared on the other side of the clearing.

At a sloth's pace, she moved her hand as quietly as possible toward her bokken, her eyes leaving the clearing and the rapid flashes of red only momentarily. When she was sure that her hand was on her bokken, she closed her eyes and prepared to dash out into the clearing to strike the invader of her personal spot.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Her heart stopped and her eyes snapped open as a low, masculine voice softly whispered the warning her into her ear.

Out of pure reflex, she gasped and clumsily spun around, swinging her bokken wildly as she did so. She felt the wood connect hard with the intruder and a small "oro!" sound. "Who are you?" she demanded loudly, unable to hide the fear that still had her heart racing two times as fast as normal. Her bokken was in the attack position, pointed down at his head, and ready to strike.

"I'm sorry," the intruder squeaked. She looked down and saw a man with red hair kneeling in front of her, rubbing his head. His long, blood red hair was tied loosely at the nape of his neck and moved up and down subtly as his hand massaged the lump that was now evident she had given him. He looked up at her, and her breath caught at the sight of purple eyes mixed with swirls of gold that slowly faded away with each second. What caught her attention the most, however, was a deep scar etched into his right cheek. An "X" that looked as if it were many years old.

When she continued to do nothing but stare in curiosity, he stood. This caused her to reflexively jump back a step and ready her stance once more, a fire coursing through her at the opportunity of her first fight outside of a dojo.

The man instantly put his hands up. "I mean no harm!" he exclaimed. As if to prove it, he took his sword from his belt and slowly put it on the ground between them.

She relaxed, lowering her bokken a little, but not sheathing it in her practice hamaka. It was then she noticed his small stature. He was barely taller than she was and had feminine features. Again, her eyes flicked back to the scar on his cheek. "Who are you?" she growled.

He continued to hold his hands up in surrender. "I'm nothing but a wanderer, that I am."

Kaoru growled in frustration and thrust her bokken at him slightly, causing him to take a step back and squeak once more in surprise. "I want a name! Who are you and why are you intruding on my practice space?"

"I'm Himura!" he exclaimed, flustered. Then, more calmly, he added, "I didn't know this was your practice space."

Kaoru once again lowered her bokken, letting it rest on the woodland ground. "So you're a bum?" she asked densely, cocking her head and giving him a slight look of disapproval.

The amount of hurt those words had caused his ego was palpable. "No, that I am not. Why, do I look like one?"

She gave his appearance a once over. His clothes were tattered, his hair was long, one of his sandals was broken, and the only possession he was carrying with him was a sword. "Yes," she concluded.

He hung his head in shame. "I suppose I could use a bath…" he admitted in defeat.

With a huge sigh, Kaoru picked up his sword, causing Himura to look up in surprise. "Come on, freeloader," she called as she walked past him. She collected her sandals when she approached the bank and turned to see he had not moved, but was simply staring at her in astonishment. She raised a brow. "Hurry up or I'm leaving you behind."

"Y-yes ma'am!" he stammered, clumsily following after her as she agilely skipped the smooth stones of the creek.

A/N: I know it's short...bear with me! But I just want to test the waters and see what you guys think before I continue writing. Plus it's way past my bedtime and I have an essay due tomorrow. I just couldn't help starting this after reading my book for english. So many fun ideas! Peace out Girl Scouts!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hey! Happy to see people are interested in the story! I decided while I have some free time in the beginning of the term to crank out another chapter for you all! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or its characters.

**Far From Home **

The log that Kaoru threw into the flaming pile of newly charred wood instantly crackled and steadily kept the flames high in order to heat the bath at a desirable temperature. "It should be hot enough now," she called up to the small window that was located next to the indoor bath. "It's perfect, that it is. Thank you Miss…?" he trailed off, and she realized that she had yet to tell her what her name was.

She debated whether it was logical to or not, seeing as how she lived all alone at the dojo. While her fighting skills were highly regarded, she still was a woman. She had seen how fast this man could move and did not know anything about him.

"Miss, are you still there?" his voice came again.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I didn't hear you over the fire," she lied. Her legs were beginning to ache from squatting next to the fire to tend it. "Let me know when you are done," she began before he had a chance to ask her for her name again. "I would like to take a bath as well." Without waiting for her answer, she stood up and stretched briefly before walking over to where the practice dojo she had on her property.

Upon entering the hall, she strode to the middle of the side of the dojo and began to stretch more intensively. She made sure that each muscle felt a special pull after the long ride to the country, only to walk all the way back home thanks to the red-headed freeloading idiot. After a good amount of time stretching, she grabbed a bokken from the rack on the wall, and closed her eyes, centering herself. She mentally recited the mantra her mom had told her when she was young. 'A woman's beauty is her best weapon, but her strength is her best defense.' She let her ki fill with strength before confidently thrusting her weapon out in a graceful motion. "Ha!" she shouted loudly. Smoothly, she turned, slashing in a downward motion with skill and ease. "Tah!" Another sharp turn lead her to cut her invisible opponent perpendicularly and let out a fierce battle cry. "Ki-hah!"

"That is most impressive, Miss, that it is." Kaoru paused where she had finished the motion of striking and looked over to where the friendly voice had come from: the doorway. She saw Himura standing in the doorway with a towel around his shoulders to shield his clothing from his long, wet hair that had once again been tied at the nape of his neck in an unruly mess. A warm smile was on his face, but Kaoru could tell it was only a formal smile, not one of true happiness.

She let out a small breath and returned to a standing position before walking over to the rack where the bokkens were kept in the dojo. "How much did you see?" she asked, grimacing. The thought of a stranger watching her while she stretched made her cringe a little. She did not want to be part of some pervert's fantasies later.

"Just your exceptional swordsmanship. Where did you learn how to fight? I haven't seen that style of swordsmanship before, that I have not," he inquired, not crossing the threshold of the dojo to come inside. She had to give him points for being respectful of her space.

She hung her bokken up on the rack with care and brushed her long, ebony ponytail from her shoulder so that it swung slightly behind her. "My father taught me since I was young," she said passively as she began to walk towards the doorway. When she was in front of him, she paused, looking up at him with guarded, sapphire eyes. "You ask a lot of questions, you know that?"

Himura simply deepened his charmingly goofy smile at her. "I am sorry if they offend you, I most certainly am. I am only trying to make conversation." She saw no deceit in his smiling violet eyes, but she could tell he was hiding something as well.

With a tiny shrug, she simply walked past him and to the bathhouse, calling over her shoulder, "Would you mind stoking the fire for me? It's a pain to do it myself, and it will last longer if I have someone else help me."

"Not at all!" he agreed cheerfully, trailing behind her, and squatted to relight the embers from his bath before adding more timber to the new fire.

With a long sigh, Kaoru strode into the bathhouse, making sure, not once, but twice, that the door was locked before quickly undoing her hamaka and sliding them down to the floor. She could feel the bathhouse beginning to heat up as Himura started the fire. After disrobing completely, she entered the area where the tub resided and dipped a toe in cautiously. The water was piping hot. Perfect. "Thank you Himura. The water is perfect!" she called and heard a noise of acknowledgement from him outside.

She had scrubbed herself good and clean and was soaking up the slowly fading heat when his voice floated through the window.

"Miss," he said loudly, so that she could hear him. "Y-yes?" She stammered, wondering just how long he had been there. It was not customary for a man to wait outside a bathhouse while a woman bathed naked. A blush crept up her cheeks at the thought that all that separated her and this man was a wall, since the window was too high for his shorter self to peer through (thank goodness!).

"I wanted to ask you what your name is. You have been most generous to me, and I would like to at least know the name of the person I am indebted to, that I would."

"Kaoru," she answered, ignoring the thoughts from before that crept into her mind. "My name is Kaoru Kamiya."

He was silent for a moment, and Kaoru was about to ask if he had heard her when he spoke again. "Miss Kaoru," he said thoughtfully, testing the name on his tongue. "That is a beautiful name."

She could not tell if it was the steam or the sudden rush of heat to her cheeks that was causing her to suddenly feel dizzy. "Uh!" she said hurriedly, standing up from the warm water quickly. "I'm done bathing, so I'm going to dry off and get dressed!" Swiftly, but carefully, she stepped out of the tub and almost cursed as the cold air nipped at her bare, pale flesh. She instantly regretted leaving the warm water, but her head was a little clearer in the cold air. Slipping on the kimono she had placed in the bathhouse prior to her ride out to the countryside, she wrung out her wet hair and put it in a braid to dry. She despised having wet hair cling to her clothes or skin and cause the possibility of sickness. Since she was alone in the dojo and had to do all the chores herself, getting sick was not an option.

Himura was still leaning against the side of the bathhouse lazily when she stepped out. He tilted his head to look over at her and she had to look away, still a little caught off guard by his glanced back at him, however, when she realized this was the first time she had seen him so relaxed since she had met him several hours ago. He was not looking at her anymore, but instead staring up at the clouds. He looked very at peace, calm, and somewhat vulnerable, not like the tongue-tied idiot she had encountered in the woods earlier. She felt a small smile grace her lips. Maybe he was not so bad to have around. It had been a while since she had had the company of a male presence.

"It is getting late, that it is," he said quietly after the long pause, his eyes still gazing at the sky overhead.

Kaoru looked at the sky to see that the sun was beginning to dip down slightly. Soon, the sunset would begin and quickly fade to the dark of night. "Mm," she agreed.

The noise his motions made when he stood caused Kaoru to turn her attention back to him, and she found his kind eyes were already looking at her. "I think it is time to return back to my home now, that it is."

Confusion took over Kaoru's features. "Home?" she repeated.

He stared back blankly at her. "Yes, Miss Kaoru. I live at a neighboring property, that I do," he answered.

She could not keep her jaw from dropping and anger from beginning to fester inside her. Clenching her fists to keep from lashing out, she tried to ask calmly, "So you came to my house and used up my time, firewood, and water to take a bath when you already have your own at your house? I thought you were a freeloader!"

He looked surprised and once again put his hands up in defense, an apologetic expression on his face. "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea, that I am, but I told you I was not a bum when we met in the woods…I was simply following your orders when you took my sword with you."

She could not hold back her anger any longer. "You never mentioned any of that earlier!" she yelled.

"I'm sorry," he apologized, bowing deeply to her. "I will make sure to repay you for your kindness, Miss Kaoru. I live at the property on the other side of that forested area behind your dojo. Please feel free to come collect from me any time you wish."

A growl of annoyance slipped through her lips, but her anger had subsided. She knew where he lived at least if he did not pay her back for his freeloading. It served her right for trying to be nice. 'No more helping strange men,' she decided firmly. "That sounds fair," she answered after a long pause. "It's really no big deal. I just don't want to be taken advantage of. You sound like you're good for your word, so I'll let it slide this time."

He straightened and a smile broke out on his face. "Thank you, Miss Kaoru. You truely are a generous woman."

His sudden compliment caused her to blush once again and she turned her head to avoid his smiling face. "Just go home," she muttered, feigning irritation. She wanted to tell him that he was a nice man too, but she did not want to give him the wrong idea.

As the red-head turned to leave, Kaoru's stomach let out a long, loud growl and her stomach suddenly hurt with hunger. "W-wait!" she called out before she knew what she was doing.

He stopped, turning to look at her with wide, curious violet eyes that made her cheeks slightly warm. "Yes, Miss Kaoru?" he asked.

"Are you a good cook?"

A/N: I made this one longer for you guys! I hope you like it. More of the plot will be added in the next chapter when Kaoru finds out she has become rich and so forth. I just want to establish the relationship with her and Kenshin first. He will become more masculine in later chapters. Promise! For now, peace out girl scouts!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sooo after reading longer into the book that Thomas Hardy wrote, I'm finding the ending is not what I predicted at all! But I'm going off an idea that I had after reading the first half of the book, so it will still somewhat be based off of it. Just a little notice!

I really hope you guys are liking the story! I haven't gotten many reviews...but just know that reviews are what fuel me to put out chapters faster.

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters

Far From Home

"Are you a good cook?"

Himura looked at the ground with an odd look on his face. "Well, I'm not sure. I have cooked before and have not have many complaints, that I have not," he answered modestly.

It sounded like he was not the best cook; however, it did sound like he may be a better cook than she was. While he may have not had many complaints, Kaoru had definitely had more than one…every single time she cooked. Even when she was cooking for herself, she had a hard time eating everything she had prepared for dinner. Burnt rice balls, tough fish, and soggy vegetables were definitely something she could use a night away from. "If you are serious about returning my kindness, then buy the food and cook dinner," she commanded in her best authoritative voice.

Not a hint of hesitation crossed his face before his big, goofy looking grin burst out across his facial features. "Of course, Miss Kaoru!"

"You're new here, right?" she asked as he began to walk towards the dojo's gates.

He paused when he was next to her and tilted his head in question. "I am indeed. How did you know that?"

She chuckled, which only looked like it confused him further. "Let me accompany you to the market and you'll understand," she said with a smile. Gracefully, she turned and headed for the gate, sensing Himura a few leisurely paces behind her. She snuck a glance at him over her shoulder, only to find his amethyst eyes already watching her with a kind of sort of fascination. It was not a leering gaze that she had sometimes caught perverted old men ogling her with, but a genuine curiosity. She quickly returned her gaze ahead of her and cursed herself for the hot feeling on her cheeks.

"Assistant Master?" she heard Himura ask as they strolled through the gates. She turned back again to see him peering at the sign outside of the dojo that read "Kamiya Kaoru, Assistant Master".

Pride swelled within her as she nodded firmly. She could feel her face light up with pure joy as she puffed her chest out slightly and settled her hands on her hips. She could not resist boasting and chirped, "Yep! I told you my father taught me how to swordfight ever since I was young. He was the master of this dojo and taught his signature style: Kamiya Kassin-ryu! I trained under him since I was able to hold a bamboo sword, and I worked hard to earn that title."

When she finished boasting about her prideful achievements, she realized that he was looking at her again with a confused expression. "'Was the master'?" he repeated inquisitively.

She paused and her long lashes turned downwards instinctively when she refused to meet his eyes. "Yes," she answered quietly, suddenly the complete opposite of her previously loud, boastful presence. "My parents passed away a while ago."

There was an awkward pause among them, and Kaoru could feel his regret for asking even without words.

"Miss Kaoru, I-"

"But," she interrupted, meeting his worried gaze with usual determined, fiery blue. "What happened is in the past. I can't change it. I can only live on and do the best I can to pass on his teachings to my students here at the dojo." A smile graced her lips. She had suffered loss, but she was not one to be beaten down, and she would not let anyone think anything different. "I choose to look towards a bright future where my father will live on through the Kamiya Kasshin-ryu."

Himura smiled at her. "Yes, I think your father would be most proud to hear you say those words, Miss Kaoru, that I would," he said warmly. His eyes held the same curiosity as he listened to her. "It is going to be dark before I can finish preparing dinner if we do not leave soon, though," he reminded her gently.

Without a word, she turned and resumed walking again, Kenshin quickly catching up to her and matching her pace at her side.

They walked in comfortable silence until the large, wooden buildings of the main strip of the town came into view. Once they walked a little further, she began to see the merchants' stands that were shouting as people walked by, trying to get their attention to look at their goods.

"Get your tofu while it's fresh!"

"Can't go wrong with some plums!"

"Ginger root is almost gone. Hurry before we run out!"

As they began to walk down the street, Kaoru heard what she had been waiting for.

"Ah! Miss Kamiya!" a friendly voice called out to her.

She turned to see one of the vendors that she had come to befriend after many times of buying his rice for her unsuccessful cooking attempts. "Hello Mr. Takayashi!" she chirped pleasantly. "How are you today?"

"Not too bad! The Mrs. and I were able to sell nearly all of our bags of rice from the last harvest," he said happily. "We're hoping to do the same this time around! Are you out of rice so soon? I remember the last time you went through a whole bag of rice in a day trying to cook riceballs..."

Kaoru felt her face flush with embarrassment. "Actually," she said, a little peeved, although she knew he meant no harm. "Himura offered to cook dinner tonight." It was not until after she said it out loud that she realized how it might be perceived. "O-Only because I let him use my bathhouse!"

The wide eyes of Mr. Takayashi told her she did not help her situation at all. "Oh, I see," he said, looking at the red headed man. "Is this fellow your-"

"No!" she said loudly, cutting him off and feeling her face get hotter. She did not even chance a glance at Himura. "I thought he was homeless and was trying to help him out."

Mr. Takayashi raised a skeptic brow, but did not argue with her. "I see," he repeated. "You have always had a heart of gold, Miss Kamiya." He looked at Himura, put a hand next to his mouth, and whispered, "You're going to want to hang on to this woman, son. She's quite the catch!"

"I-It was a pleasure seeing you Mr. Takayashi!" she exclaimed, flashing a smile at him before continuing to walk to the next stand on the street.

"As always, Miss Kamiya!" he called after her.

They finished the rest of the shopping quickly, and Kaoru greeted each of the vendors they visited by name, asking about their families and how their sales were going. Some vendors even called out a cheerful hello as they walked by, to which she returned with a smile and a polite wave.

"Everyone seems to know you very well, Miss Kaoru," Himura mused as they were walking back. He shifted the bag of rice that he had bought from Mr. Takayashi on their way out, despite the blush that she had been unable to hide during the entire transaction. Thankfully, he did not say anything else to embarrass her again.

"Exactly!" she beamed, remembering her statement earlier. "The town is very small, and that everyone knows everyone here. That's why I knew you were new to the area. There is not one person native to this town that I don't at least recognize." The pride she had felt from earlier returned in a softer way. She looked at him and grinned.

"I see," was all he said in response. He looked relaxed, even while carrying the heavy bag of rice. She silently mulled over how heavy it was for her to carry, and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. It was hard to tell what his physique was like because of his loose clothing, but he was not even breathing hard with effort. And earlier at her practice spot in the lightly wooded area, that godlike speed...she could not even observe his style of swordsmanship.

"Hey Himura," she broke the silence. "You said you're new in town, right?"

"I am indeed, Miss Kaoru," he responded cautiously. He continued to stare straight ahead, but there was nothing purposeful or rude intended.

"Then, may I ask, where did you live before you came here?" she asked lightly.

He noticeably stiffened at the question. It was brief, lasting less than a second, but she saw it. After a slight hesitation, he answered, "I came here from Kyoto, that I did." He looked over at her and smiled warmly, but she could tell it was a guarded smile and decided it would be inconsiderate to press the matter further.

"One of my best friends lives in Kyoto," she said, trying to redirect the conversation to a less awkward topic. "Her name is Misao Makimichi. She would spend her summers here training to become a ninja with her mentor, Aoshi, and we got very close." She smiled at the memories of them playing together. She would train with Misao by practicing her new kenjutsu moves against Misao's latest shuriken trick. When the summer ended and Misao had to leave, she would always cry and beg her parents to let her spend the year in Kyoto, but her father would convince her to stay by telling her that she would not learn new kenjutsu moves and that Misao would beat her at their next practice session. Kaoru, being the competitive type, would instantly wipe her tears and console the non-stop crying Misao before seeing her and Aoshi off.

"Does she come visit often?" He asked as they walked through her dojo's gates, bringing her back to the present.

Kaoru nodded, the nostalgic smile still on her lips. "She visits about once every few months. She always tells me that if she doesn't come to visit me, I'll become a lonely old maid," she chuckled.

He chuckled with her and paused at the door as she slid the shoji door open and carried the few items Himura had been unable to carry into the kitchen. "I must admit, Miss Kaoru, that it is a little worrying that a young lady such as yourself lives alone," he said as they set the ingredients on the counter and the rice bag next to the half open bag in the corner.

"I can take care of myself," Kaoru huffed, glaring at him. "You even said yourself that my swordsmanship was impressive."

"That it is, Miss Kaoru," he agreed, not meeting her glare as he focused on beginning to chop the vegetables he planned to cook. "However, there are many bad men in the world that wish to take advantage of people that are trusting, such as yourself."

She snorted, her temper beginning to rise. "I've lived alone this long, so I think I'll be just fine. You don't know my strength, and you are not someone I know closely; therefore you have no right to judge my personal life," she remarked, her glare deepening.

He paused halfway through a chop of the last vegetable. He seemed to take a beat and realize he was out of line before softly saying that he was sorry. "You're right," he added, "it is not my place to advise you on such matters. I was only offering my opinion, that I was."

Her flaming temper was quickly snuffed out, and she allowed her glare to soften. "Will you be alright if I go take care of some chores around the house before we eat?" she asked, feeling a bit awkward.

"Yes, feel free to do whatever you need to while I prepare dinner," he said, casting her a warm smile before he went back to deboning the fish. It seemed that he felt a bit awkward as well.

"Alright," she said. "Thank you Himura." With that, she strolled out from the kitchen and out into the courtyard area to gather the clothes that had been drying on the line while the sun was hot during the day.

As she unpinned a pair of training hamaka from the line, she let her mind begin to wander. She thought over his words of the dangers of living alone. She had survived well until now but had it truely been because of her swordsmanship skills and independent abilities, or had she just been lucky? Maybe she should ask Himura to develop some kind of signal when she needed assistance. But how could she after she argued so childishly about it? She took a deep breath and smelled a funny tinge in the air. The oddity snapped her out of her head and she then realized a fine, grey cloudiness was slowly wafting from behind her. She turned around and yelped in surprise.

The kitchen door had been left open a fire was steadily brewing from the room. Flames had already engulfed her kitchen's interior and the readheaded man was not visible from where she was.

Kaoru shrieked and filled the wash bucket with water as quickly as the well pump allowed her to. She thanked the gods for the rigorous sword training exercises she had disciplined herself with that allowed her to pump out water faster than most women. With the bucket half full, she grabbed the sides and rushed to the house as fast as her wooden shoes would take her, dousing the room with the bucket's water. It wasn't enough, however, and new flames quickly replaced the old ones that had been washed away.

She looked around wildly to figure out what she needed to save from the kitchen and spotted Kenshin's white hamaka, which she followed up his body to see his eyes closed and posture slumped. His crimson hair blended in with the deadly fire, as he sat, somewhat propped up against the back wall.

"Himura!" she gasped, feeling the sting of smoke on her dry throat as she did so. Ignoring the pain and the intense feeling of heat, she rushed in and grabbed him by the arms. With a lot of effort, she managed to slowly drag the man through the room as fire licked at her hands and face. Her eyes began to tear up from smoke and shock as she managed to get him through the open door and off the porch. Not a second later, a large ceiling beam fell, blocking the door with a fiery wall.

Neighbors began to pour through the gates with buckets that the filled up at her well individually and began helping to douse the fire as Kaoru had before.

"Don't worry, Lady Kaoru! We'll help out with the fire!" one man exclaimed determinedly while filling up his bucket.

"Thank you so much!" she called back, a tear slipping down her cheek from dry eyes and heat.

As the neighbors' efforts began to dull the fire down, Kaoru turned her attention to the man lying next to her. His flame-red hair was charred on some tufts and smokey deposits dirtied his face and clothes. Immediately, she checked for a pulse and breathed a strangled sigh of relief when she found his heart was beating strong.

"He probably collapsed due to the amount of smoke he breathed in and overwhelming heat," an alluring female voice remarked coolly.

Kaoru turned to face the voice and saw it belonged to an elegant woman with long, raven hair and striking, sharp eyes. She couldn't help seeing the image of a fox as she looked at her, even with everything going on. "W-what?" was all she managed to squeak out.

With a small smirk, the woman knelt beside her and nudged her slightly out of the way.

Kaoru was about to protest, when the woman looked at her with a stern expression. "I'm Megumi Takani, Dr. Gensai's newest apprentice. I need you to move out of the way so I can examine him," she said with authority.

Kaoru nodded with a dumbfounded expression and stood. She looked at her kitchen once again to find the flames were gone, yet all that was left of her kitchen was a black, charred mess. Some of the neighbors were still putting water on it. Her guess was they were making sure to get the last of the embers so that the fire would not start back up again.

"Ay, Jou-chan. Looks like your awful cooking finally caught up with you," an all too familiar voice teased.


End file.
